The present invention relates to the fabrication of doors of the type commonly used for garages and, more particularly, to the fabrication of a modular door panel having improved mechanical and thermal performance characteristics and which can be assembled into a completed door in a time- and labor-efficient manner.
The traditional garage door is assembled from a series of panels, typically four, that are hinged together on their rearward side in an adjoining relationship and mounted in laterally positioned tracks to allow the door to be raised to an open position or lowered to a closed position. The typical panel is formed from a wooden frame defined by spaced horizontally aligned footer and header members connected with vertically aligned end members and one or more intermediate members. Wooden panes are inserted between the various frame members to define a complete panel. In general, the traditional garage door performs its intended function; however, the wood components require periodic maintenance to protect the door from weathering, and the door does not provide a high level of thermal insulation. Since the frame is fabricated from wood structural members, a considerable amount of labor- and time-intensive joining and fitting is required to manufacture each panel.
Efforts have been made to improve door performance by cladding the weather-exposed surfaces of the door with a vinyl sheet material to minimize the requirement to periodically paint or otherwise treat the weather-exposed surfaces of the door. In general, the use of vinyl and other plastic claddings or coatings adds to the labor and material costs of door fabrication and only provides a marginal increase in thermal insulation performance.